Yesterday I was delighted to have the opportunity to drive both the new MX5 1.5 SE-L and the 2.0 Sport Nav back to back over a period of two hours, courtesy of Macrae & Dick Mazda, Inverness. My thanks to Dougie and his colleagues.
The new MX5 drives beautifully, it has great balance, is very direct and inspires great confidence. It is great fun and is very âchuckableâ. The new 1.5 litre engine has a bit more poke than my 2014 1.8 Sport Venture and has a 6 speed gearbox, which helps the gearing and tractability. Both are a welcome improvement. The 2.0 litre adds nearly thirty (mostly unnecessary) horses, and suffers from a harsher ride. This, I am advised, is due to the Bilstein dampers fitted to the Sport model, not simply the 17inch wheels. Regrettably, both cars I drove suffered from wind whistle from the door windows in crosswinds, something I havenât experienced in any of my Mk.3âs over the last six years. Inside the cockpit is a modern revelation and a huge improvement over the Mk.3 in terms of finish and attractiveness. It feels more spacious, yet the windscreen is closer to the driver than before. The view out is reminiscent of a 60âs Triumph Spitfire, with its pronounced front wings, the side view of the car has similar muscular lines to a 60âs Corvette Stingray and the rear, with its curve down over the rear arches is not unlike a BMW Z3. All in all pretty successful, for the most part, howeverâŚ
When I first saw the Mk.4 on the outskirts of Inverness during the press launch a few weeks ago, I wasnât struck on the frontal design. Seeing it again and studying it some more, my view hasnât changed. The corporate gaping mouth has no place on a bespoke roadster. In addition the curved line formed by the running lights over the grille from one side to the other creates a miserable look over a black gaping hole.
Sadly the colour choice available is dire and wholly uninspiring. This is a fun roadster, so why lumber it with such a dour colour palette? Renault and Ford manage some bright and fresh colours, why canât Mazda? - We have solid white, (the only one that doesnât cost extra), white metallic, ceramic, (a grey white), solid black, metallic black, a dull blue and an expensive red? Where is the brightness and fun?
Wheels are limited to weedy and thin looking 16âs with only slightly better looking 17âs. Not very inspiring. The optional âaccessoryâ alloy looks aftermarket. Audi do some great alloys which would look a whole lot better than those currently available.
Inside is a lovely place to be, but the cloth seat bases are fairly soft and you feel perched on them rather than held in place. The leather option is a bit better, but neither seem as good as those in my Mk.3âs which have been both leather and cloth versions over the years. Are they now smaller? The afterthought cupholders are awful and can thankfully be removed, (I have never used mine). The placement of the volume control is too far back and is unnatural to operate as a result, neither am I not struck on the tablet screen which looks huge in such a cosy cabin. I was disappointed that there is no glovebox. A small point perhaps, but I often find myself quickly picking up items in the cabin and throwing them into the glovebox to lock them out of sight. You canât do this now, as there is no glovebox, but there are still cubbies behind the seat which are less convenient.
The boot is about 20 litres smaller than before but the shape is deeper but with more encroachment by the lights. Apparently the Mk.4 is about 45mm shorter than the Mk.1, leaving in the 45mm could have kept the boot space up. So it is now a little less practical.
Opening the boot and starting the car are both different to previous versions. The boot can be opened by the key fob, or by an electro switch next to the rear number plate light which is nicely hidden, but would get grubby very quickly. When you release the roof catch the side windows drop a little to allow the roof to be lowered which is a nice touch, but to raise the roof you need to open both doors or leave the engine running to operate the windows as I couldnât see an accessory setting to allow the windows to work with the engine off, maybe I missed it. Some manufacturers allow a window opening/closing function on the keyfob by holding down the lock or unlock button respectively, which would make this operation more convenient.
I have been quite critical, but these are minor niggles. The Mk.4 truly is a lovely car and a great driverâs car and deserves all the plaudits it has received, but following my test drives I took my Mk.3 over the same route and found it was almost as much fun for mere mortals!
So, would I buy one? - No, not yet. - I would wait until Mazda see sense and give the MX5 some colour choices that are more interesting and befitting. I would also wait to see what visual and trim enhancements are made with future Special Editions, so I will just wait a while yet. In the meantime those that are hooked by the Mk.4 will experience a very special drive. Happy motoring!!
